While the City confirmed the suspension of top cop Reynold Talmakkies after he was found guilty of breaching security protocols, the Good Party has called for further action to be taken.
Talmakkies who works with the City’s Safety and Security Investigation Unit (SSIU) was suspended for inappropriately approaching a Mitchells Plain magistrate in the parking lot of the court for a “chat” relating to a murder matter in which his son is an accused.
The magistrate had recused herself from the case the day after Talmakkies approached her as she felt uncomfortable about proceeding with the trial.
Good Party’s Brett Herron said: “Not only is this an unlawful unit without any powers prescribed by law, as confirmed in a Parliamentary answer from the Police Minister to Good, but Talmakkies himself is facing criminal charges in a separate matter.
While his suspension is encouraging, it’s not enough.
“Talmakkies should in no way be part of the City’s efforts to deal with crime, and should face the full consequences of his actions.
“Safety and Security (mayco member), JP Smith must also give up his fight to keep this rogue unit intact and the City must shut it down. While Good agrees that there is a need for certain police powers to be decentralised, local governments cannot usurp powers at will. We have long argued that rogue policing and illegal intelligence units are dangerous and undermine the fight against organised crime by creating a grey environment in which crime can flourish,” said Herron.
Smith said after Talmakkies’s suspension, due process would now be followed in line with City policies and procedures.
“Talmakkies is not the Head of the SSIU, as has been painstakingly explained previously.
“An error or misconduct by single member of an organisation does not merit the closure of the entire organisation - otherwise the entire Good party would have needed to be closed years ago or at least recently when Brett Herron fired a number of their councillors.
“I can never give up the fight for better policing - in the absence of viable Saps investigative capabilities, the SSIU has done tremendous work in undertaking watching briefs on gang, firearm and drug related arrests which has assisted in improving the outcomes on Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) and Metro Police arrests for these offences and has contributed to the reduction in murder this province has seen, unlike the rest of South Africa where the ANC and their coalition partner Good, have presided over a steady increase in murder by 15% over the last three years,” said Smith.
Attempts to reach Talmakkies for comment on Monday were unsuccessful.
Cape Times